SHAHEEN ANNOUNCES DISASTER RELIEF FUNDING AWARDED TO NEW ENGLAND

February 26, 2014

(Washington, DC) - U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) announced this morning that the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) will give $32.8 million in disaster relief funding to coastal communities in New England that have been suffering severe economic losses in recent years due to declining fish populations.

“This morning’s announcement is great news for New Hampshire’s fishing industry,” Shaheen said. “These disaster relief resources that I’ve long fought for will provide critical support for the seacoast economy and a countless number of New Hampshire jobs.”

As a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, Shaheen has led the bipartisan effort to secure $75 million in disaster relief resources for affected fishing communities in several regions of the country, and today’s announcement marks the agency’s decision to give nearly half of those funds to New England alone. The disaster relief resources that will be administered by NOAA will provide some economic relief for fishing communities in New Hampshire and across the region.

Recently, Shaheen along with a bipartisan coalition of Senators met with NOAA officials to discuss these disaster relief resources. Her meeting came after she successfully fought to include disaster relief resources in the bipartisan government funding legislation that was signed into law in January.